Brrr! Winter is here!
White-crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers are all over our area as winter has settled in. Gone (mostly) are those colorful orioles, grosbeaks and tanagers to be replaced by the more subdued sparrows and winter warblers. The beauty is in the detail of these subtly plumaged birds. Dust off your binoculars and look for a hidden gem amongst the flocks!
December Schedule of Events
We've got something for everyone this month! Want to join a walk? We got one. Want to see Frank present in person? Easy. Feel like learning about birds from the comfort of your home? Done. Are you feeling an irresistible urge to count birds for science? You bet!
Bird Walk - Sunday, December 8th at 9am
It's been a while since we've walked! Join us for a Wild Birds Unlimited customer bird walk on Sunday, December 8th at 9am over at the Ventura Settling Ponds. We should see plenty of ducks, herons, egrets, and maybe a surprise or two wintering over at the wetlands! Bring binoculars.
https://visitventuraca.com/business/ventura-water-treatment-plant-wildlife-ponds/
Top Ten Most Wanted Birds: A CBC Primer - Tuesday, December 10th at 7pm on ZOOM and In person!
It's Christmas Bird Count season! Ventura's count is Saturday, December 21st. That means it's time to start checking those backyard birds! This presentation will focus on the history of the Christmas Bird Count, the importance of community science, how you can participate in our upcoming count, and what birds to look for in your yard. We will also take a look at some local trends that we’ve observed over the past 45 years. Finally, we'll go over the birds that we most want to find for the CBC. You may have one and not even realize it!
Zoom Link & In Person Directions: https://www.venturaaudubon.org/speakers
Holiday Bird Bazaar - Saturday, December 14th in store!
We are cramming EVERYTHING into this year's Holiday Bird Bazaar. We'll have outside vendors with lovely handmade items, a build your own pinecone feeder station, and the Ojai Raptor Center in store to talk to us about owls! What more could you ask for? We'll also have snacks available. Oh, and everything Owl themed will be 25% off for one day only!
Beginner Bird ID: Winter Edition - Sunday, December 15th at 2pm on ZOOM
Join us as we talk about the variety of birds that spend the winter in Southern California and learn some ID tips for common backyard birds that occur this time of year! We will talk about sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, nuthatches and more! The Christmas Bird Counts are coming up soon, so this will be a great way to prepare for those participating in a CBC!
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86344861990?pwd=I1IV9S8qaMrkmQRfZk5cVjDY9u1PF1.1
Christmas Bird Count - Saturday, December 21st
Want to participate in this year's Ventura Christmas Bird Count? You can! If you live within the count circle, you can count the birds in you yard. Otherwise, you are free to join the 100+ volunteers that will be out counting all across Ventura! Email [email protected] to be added.